A fitness model has been arrested following the violent death of his husband, who was found stabbed multiple times in their shared apartment.
Donald Zieben-Hood, 40, called 911 around 4AM and told police officers that he had awakened after a knife fight to find his 34-year-old husband, Jacob Zieben-Hood, dead on the toilet, according to police sources.
When officers arrived at the West 138th Street residence, they discovered Jacob “slumped over on the floor covered in blood with gashes from his head and multiple stab wounds to the back of his leg, including a stabbing on the back of his calf that penetrated his muscle,” prosecutors stated during Donald’s arraignment, per New York Daily News.
One of those wounds had severed an artery, causing Jacob to bleed to death. The medical examiner’s office is still working to determine whether the wounds were accidental, self-inflicted, or the result of a homicide.
According to The New York Post, Donald, who appeared at the arraignment with visible cuts on his arms requiring stitches, claimed it was Jacob who attacked him.
However, prosecutors painted a different picture, alleging that the couple had a long history of conflict and that Donald had shown “an escalating pattern of violence toward his husband in defiance of multiple public court orders, culminating in his husband’s death.”
Law enforcement confirmed that Donald had violated an order of protection issued in November, which barred him from any contact with his husband.
He reportedly admitted the violation during the 911 call, telling the dispatcher, “I had an order of protection placed against me. I’m getting arrested, right?”
Jacob had reportedly called his father the night of his death, telling him that Donald was “coming after him” and preventing him from leaving the apartment.
“The victim’s father heard the defendant’s voice in the background screaming at the victim and calling him derogatory names,” prosecutors said.
Neighbors also expressed concern about the couple’s relationship, describing frequent and intense arguments.
“They’ve been arguing for months, and I’ve been complaining,” one neighbor, Craig, told the Daily News. “I know couples fight, but this was abnormal. They were very loud. Slamming doors all the time. I knew something tragic would happen. It’s unfortunate.”
Donald has been charged with first-degree burglary, weapons possession, and aggravated criminal contempt. A judge denied bail as the case continues to be investigated as a homicide.
Both men were known in the fitness community and had built a presence on social media as models and influencers.
Jacob’s Instagram account includes snapshots of their relationship dating back to 2016. One post from August 2, 2020, shows the couple smiling together with the caption: “So I got married …”
In addition to his online presence, Jacob was pursuing a medical degree and worked as a trainer at SystimFit, a Greenwich Village gym specializing in wireless electrical muscle stimulation, according to the gym’s Instagram page, Yahoo reported.
Our thoughts are with loved ones at this time.
